1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telecommunications systems and, in particular, to an improved cellular telephone system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cost of a conventional voice telephone call depends on many factors. Local calls within the same area code generally cost less than calls between different area codes. Calls between more remotely located area codes, regions, or countries can be still more expensive.
As a consequence, many individuals make use of cellular telephones for long distance calls. In such cases, users are charged on a per minute basis, regardless of the distance between called and calling parties. However, cellular service providers generally do not charge if the call is completely within their network. Thus, for example, if the calling and called parties' service is provided by Cingular, there is no charge for the call.
However, in such cases, there is no way for a caller to know which network the called party is on unless the caller has been told and remembers or has written down the information. As such, a typical caller cannot usually affirmatively take advantage of the cost savings provided.